Have you been to an F1 race before?
It’s loud; the sort of loud that you are pleased to have noise-cancelling headphones with you, but it’s exciting. You can feel the anticipation in the air. The spectators are gathered around the track and the display of colours representing fans of various Formula 1 teams stretches out as far as the eye can see.
In the garage, though, the atmosphere is a bit different. Everyone is focused, making sure everything is ready. The engineers are working tirelessly on the car. Every system from the power unit to the tyre pressures is fine-tuned. Aerodynamics are adjusted to fit the demands of the track, gear ratios and brake balance are calibrated, tyres are warmed (so is the engine), batteries are charging, steering wheel and driver systems are being checked.
Real-time telemetry for monitoring the car is being set up. The F1 engineers don’t wait for something to go wrong before making adjustments. When the race starts, their work doesn’t stop. They monitor every engine parameter in real time, spotting tiny fluctuations. Any anomalies trigger instant alerts at the pit wall. They adjust then and there to preserve components or maximise performance – all before any visible fault occurs.
From Formula 1 to heart monitoring
In med tech, that same approach is revolutionising heart monitoring, since the heart and engine have actually a lot in common. Much like a F1 car, the human heart thrives on precision, adaptation and constant monitoring. Heart rate variability (HRV) and irregular heartbeat are not the same, but together, they paint a full picture of heart health.
Today’s devices are doing what F1 telemetry has done for decades: offering continuous, predictive, and preventative insights. From heart rate variability to irregular heartbeat detection (arrhythmias). But to fully appreciate that power, let’s first take a look at the crucial difference between HRV and arrhythmias, and how tools like smartwatches and Holter monitors compare in tracking each.
What is heart rate variability?
In F 1 terms: HRV is like tracking the subtle responsiveness of an engine to every twist and turn, not just waiting for a warning light to flash.
It is the natural variation in time between individual heartbeats. Rather than beating too regular, a healthy heart adjusts slightly from beat to beat depending on breathing, stress, physical exertion, and even emotional state.
In technical terms, HRV reflects the balance of the autonomic nervous system. The tug-of-war between the sympathetic (‘fight or flight’) and parasympathetic (‘rest and digest’) branches.
What does HRV tell you about your heart?
- High HRV: Indicates good recovery, stress resilience, and cardiovascular adaptability.
- Low HRV: May indicate fatigue, chronic stress, illness, or early cardiac risk.
For med tech platforms focused on preventive health, stress tracking, and wellness, HRV is a leading indicator – often shifting before any symptoms appear.
What is an irregular heartbeat?
In F1 terms: An arrhythmia is like an engine misfire or gearbox fault – a critical disruption requiring diagnostic intervention.
An irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia, occurs when the heart’s electrical signals become disorganised, causing it to beat too fast, too slow, or erratically.
Types of arrhythmias include:
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) – chaotic signals in the upper chambers.
- Premature beats – early extra beats that feel like a ‘skip’ or flutter.
Arrhythmias can be benign or dangerous, and they often go undetected, especially if intermittent. That’s where continuous monitoring becomes vital.
Becoming an F1 engineer for your heart
As remote monitoring and personalised medicine become mainstream in the UK, they provide great strategies for looking after the heart, the F1 way. The combination of heart rate variability analysis and arrhythmia detection can give us a detailed view of heart health: one focused on performance and stress, the other on system failures.
Smartwatches
These are a great option for monitoring the performance and stress (HRV), but less so for monitoring system failures (arrhythmias).
Modern smartwatches (e.g. Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin) use optical sensors (PPG) and sometimes single-lead ECG to track heart rhythm and estimate HRV. Some models can detect AFib via spot ECG (Apple, Samsung), but you still need a ‘proper’ ECG to confirm it. These devices are not always medically validated for diagnosis in the UK.
Holter Monitors
Holter monitors, on the other hand, are clinical-grade ECG devices worn continuously (usually between 24 hours and 7 days), recording every heartbeat. They are the gold standard for arrhythmia detection. But, they are not designed for long-term use, and they don’t traditionally provide HRV analysis.
Getting the most out of the heart-monitoring devices
You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can use both. Chances are you already have a smartwatch or a fitness-tracking wearable device that provides you with heart rate variability data. All you need now is a Holter Monitor. The good news is, you don’t have to buy one. Services such as Your Heart Check will send you one to wear and then will analyse the data and interpret it for you when you return the device.
A Holter is also a good option to check what is going on with your heart when your smartwatch starts to consistently show your HRV as ‘unbalanced’ or ‘low’, or when you receive a few HRV alerts that it is significantly out of your usual range. HRV readings from the smartwatch may be influenced by movement or sensor accuracy, so a Holter will give you the extra layer of reassurance that your heart is ‘okay’. Smartwatch also can’t quantify pain, missed beats or extra beats – something you can do with a Holter.
F1-inspired precision at Your Heart Check
At Your Heart Check, we use Formula 1 precision techniques to provide our customers with the comprehensive insight about their heart rhythm to support them in their journey of looking after their hearts. To find out more about how we do this, visit our service page or get in touch.
And if you watched the Austrian GP this weekend, let us know what was the highlight of the race for you.
